Michael López-Alegría facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Michael López-Alegría
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Lopez in March 2000
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| Born |
Miguel Eladio López Alegría
May 30, 1958 |
| Nationality | American Spanish |
| Space career | |
| NASA astronaut | |
| Rank | Captain, USN |
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Time in space
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296 days, 16 hours and 15 minutes |
| Selection | NASA Group 14 (1992) |
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Total EVAs
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10 |
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Total EVA time
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67h 40m |
| Missions |
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Mission insignia
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| Retirement | March 12, 2012 |
Michael López-Alegría (born Miguel Eladio López Alegría on May 30, 1958) is a very experienced astronaut. He is also a test pilot and a commercial astronaut. He has dual citizenship, meaning he is both American and Spanish.
Michael has flown on three Space Shuttle missions and one long mission to the International Space Station (ISS). He is famous for doing ten spacewalks in his career. He holds the record for the second-longest total time spent on spacewalks. He also has the fifth-longest single spaceflight for an American astronaut, spending 215 days on the ISS. This long trip was from September 18, 2006, to April 21, 2007. More recently, Michael commanded Axiom Mission 1 (Axiom-1). This was the first-ever mission to the ISS with an all-private crew of astronauts. It launched on April 8, 2022, and stayed in orbit for over 17 days.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Michael López-Alegría was born in Madrid, Spain. His father was Spanish, and his mother was American. He grew up in Mission Viejo, California. After finishing Mission Viejo High School, he joined the United States Navy.
Becoming an Engineer and Pilot
In 1980, Michael earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Systems Engineering. He got this degree from the United States Naval Academy. Later, in 1988, he earned a Master of Science degree in Aeronautical Engineering. This was from the U.S. Naval Postgraduate School.
He became a Naval Aviator (a pilot for the Navy) in 1981. He worked as an instructor pilot in Florida. He also flew for the Navy in Rota, Spain, and at NAS Patuxent River, Maryland. He was the first pilot of an EP-3E aircraft chosen for the U.S. Naval Test Pilot School. Michael can speak English, Spanish, French, and Russian fluently.
Documentaries About Space
Michael's son, Nicolas, appeared with him in a 2006 documentary. It was called Mira La Luna (Look at the Moon). Another documentary, Son And Moon, came out in 2009. It featured Michael and other astronauts like Mikhail Tyurin and Sunita Williams.
Amazing Space Missions
Michael López-Alegría's first trip to space was on STS-73 in 1995. After that, he worked at NASA leading the International Space Station (ISS) Crew Operations office. He then flew to space again on STS-92 in 2000 and STS-113 in 2002.
Testing a Space Jetpack
During the STS-92 mission, he tested a special jet pack called SAFER. This jetpack helps astronauts move around safely during spacewalks. He flew up to 50 feet away from the Space Shuttle while testing it!
Living Underwater for NASA
In October 2001, Michael was part of the first NEEMO crew. NEEMO stands for NASA Extreme Environment Mission Operations. He lived in an underwater laboratory called Aquarius. This helped NASA learn about living in extreme places, like space.
Commanding the Space Station
On September 20, 2006, Michael arrived at the ISS. He was the commander of Expedition 14. He had launched from Baikonur, Kazakhstan, on September 18, aboard the Soyuz TMA-9 spacecraft. During Expedition 14, he performed five spacewalks. He returned to Earth on April 21, 2007.
Spacewalk Records
Michael López-Alegría holds the American record for the most EVAs (spacewalks). He has done 10 spacewalks, totaling 67 hours and 40 minutes. The previous record was 9 spacewalks by Jerry L. Ross. Michael is the second most experienced spacewalker overall, after Russia's Anatoly Solovyev.
On April 2, 2007, he set the record for the longest space mission by an American astronaut. When he landed on April 21, his single mission had lasted 215 days. The longest space mission ever was by Valeriy Polyakov, who spent 438 days on the Russian space station Mir.
List of Spacewalks
Here is a list of Michael López-Alegría's spacewalks:
- 2000-10-16 – 7 hours, 7 minutes – STS-92, EVA 2
- 2000-10-18 – 6 hours, 56 minutes – STS-92, EVA 4
- 2002-11-26 – 6 hours, 45 minutes – STS-113, EVA 1
- 2002-11-28 – 6 hours, 10 minutes – STS-113, EVA 2
- 2002-11-30 – 7 hours, 0 minutes – STS-113, EVA 3
- 2006-11-22 – 7 hours, 39 minutes – ISS Expedition 14, EVA 1
- 2007-01-31 – 7 hours, 55 minutes – ISS Expedition 14, EVA 2
- 2007-02-04 – 7 hours, 11 minutes – ISS Expedition 14, EVA 3
- 2007-02-07 – 6 hours, 39 minutes – ISS Expedition 14, EVA 4
- 2007-02-22 – 6 hours, 18 minutes – ISS Expedition 14, EVA 5
At the end of his ISS mission, he commanded the longest flight by a Soyuz spacecraft. This made Expedition 14 the longest expedition at that time.
After NASA
Michael López-Alegría retired from NASA on March 12, 2012. He then became the President of the Commercial Spaceflight Federation until the end of 2014.
Working with Space Companies
Today, Michael works as a consultant for space companies. He advises both traditional and new commercial space businesses. He also serves on different boards and committees. He gives speeches around the world.
In 2017, Michael joined Axiom Space. He became their director of Business Development. He flew to space again in 2022 as commander of Axiom Mission 1. This was the first Axiom Space Crew Dragon mission to the International Space Station. Michael also commanded Axiom Mission 3, which launched on January 18, 2024.
Awards and Honors
Michael López-Alegría has received many awards for his service and achievements:
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National Defense Service Medal with one award star |
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NASA Space Flight Medal with three oak leaf clusters |
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Medal "For Merit in Space Exploration" |
See also
In Spanish: Miguel López-Alegría para niños
- Hispanics in the United States Naval Academy
- List of Hispanic astronauts
